The summer term is always packed with activities and events, particularly the sporting kind. This year has been no exception as the pupils have run, swum, jumped and hopped around the sports fields here at school. Children and parents alike came to school with a competitive edge, ready to take on the world! And they thoroughly relished the process of smashing their personal bests or even in a few instances, some long standing school records!

Well done to all our young athletes and all their physically demanding efforts to excel!

In early June, parents and friends were invited to the gym to watch a wonderful display of young skills with some of our After-school clubs showing us their learning. The routines were the result of determined practice by the children and their coaches. There are a range of clubs for junior school children, and this display was brought to us by the Cheerleading club, the Dance & Movement girls, the Rhythmics enthusiasts and our Karate children who were judged for their next belts too.  

A very enjoyable show! 

On Tuesday 7^th June 2022, some of our budding tennis stars in our Early Years classes took part in a celebratory display of their growing tennis skills on one of the tennis courts here at SLC. With racquets clutched proudly in their small hands and some fancy footwork too, the children showed off what they’d learnt in front of pleased friends and families. Delightfully entertaining!

The staff of St Lawrence were treated to an activity weekend at the end of May and certainly made the most of it. Organised down to the finest points by the indomitable Head of PE, Ms Kalara, 53 members of staff headed off to Kalavrita in the Peloponnese for fun & games and taking in the mountain air. What a welcome break it was from the usual routine of school activities and duties! Very much appreciated indeed.

This term Year 8 pupils have demonstrated excellent research and critical thinking skills by completing an action science project. We are delighted to be sharing the outcomes with you.

The pupils chose topics relating to our Year 8 science curriculum, particularly our Chemistry unit 8E and Biology unit 8C. These are 1) climate change and extreme weather events, 2) electric cars and 3) smoking. They carried out a pupil-directed collaborative research process, giving over much of their personal time, thus going above and beyond their normal science work.

First, the pupils became involved in secondary research, collecting and analysing information from articles and the internet. Then, they designed a primary research in order to learn more about their chosen topics. This took the form of surveys and/or experiments. Their final step was to utilise their findings in a way that would make a positive difference to their community, mainly by informing members of the public.

Through their actions, the children link knowledge gained in lessons to everyday life, as well as undertake the responsibility to seek sustainable and equitable solutions to controversial issues. Thus, they make a vital step towards becoming active citizens.

Below you can find the pupils’ actions:

• a video on electric cars, by Sergios and Aris
• a leaflet on smoking by Pervin and Panayiotis
• a video on electric cars by Tara and Isabella
• a leaflet on electric cars by Konstantino and Thisseas
• an art poster on electric cars by Apollon and Nikolas
• a video on climate change and extreme weather events by Antigoni and Konstantino

Last week, the Year 7s went on an exciting trip to Larisa. First, we stopped at Metaxochori which was a memorable experience and definitely worth the long journey. We saw the waterfalls and walked around the very traditional village streets. In the afternoon, we visited the old Girls’ School, and received a talk about the history of this significant location. We also learnt about the process of the production of silk.   

On Friday, we had a really fun day at Pineios River where we were introduced to rafting techniques and had the opportunity to practise our skills for three hours. In the evening, we enjoyed a range of activities such as archery, ziplining and hiking across the beautiful mountain of Kissavos.     

On the last day, our pupils participated in a rafting competition along the same river route they practiced the day before. At the end, all pupils received a gift of a t-shirt from Trekking Hellas, to remember the day. The winners also got their medals and extra prizes!   

Overall, this was a highly engaging, fun and educational experience enjoyed by all, and we look forward to taking our new intake of Year 7 pupils next year!

Green fingers everywhere have helped to create an impressive little collection of plants in our junior school. The children in our lunchtime gardening club have worked with some enthusiastic members of staff to plant, water and harvest a modest range of vegetables. The flowers too, that have blossomed this springtime have really brightened the entrance to our school with colour and beauty.  

The next crop we are waiting to pull up is the pumpkins. Let's see how they do! Pumpkin soup orders at the ready! 

On the last day of the Spring term, St Lawrence College Junior School welcomed the Easter holidays in with a traditional celebration, an Easter Bonnet parade. Many pupils from our youngest children in FS1, right up to Year 6 children with high school right round the corner, adorned themselves with flowers, Easter eggs, chicks, ribbons, and even Greek churches atop their head!  

With a theme of 'recycled material use’ given, the judges looked for home-made efforts that used everyday materials creatively to put a modern twist on an old theme. Prizes were awarded for the top effort in each year group and the winners eagerly received their big chocolate Easter eggs. Bravo to everyone who participated, it was another fun event to make us smile!  

At SLC, we value our pupils’ learning inside and outside the classroom, educating the whole child. Pastoral care is just as important as academic learning; therefore, we use our physical school environment to inspire our young learners about the importance of maintaining positive behaviour at all times. We teach them the lessons of life alongside the lessons that matter in the curriculum. Just look at a few of the walls in our school, filled with information to cultivate curiosity, positivity and healthy ideas.

During the Spring term, Ms Good invited pupils to ‘tea’ as a way of showing her appreciation for their wonderful, simple contributions to everyday life at school. Teachers nominated that special someone in their class for the treat – the pupil who never has to be asked twice to take out their books, the pupil who unfailingly responds with good manners, the pupil who shows a willingness to participate in whatever the lesson may be and always tries their best to improve. These personality traits matter here at our school and often it's the quiet child who exhibits them day after day, so what better way to say thank you than giving them a chance to show off their books and have a relaxing chat in Ms Good's office.

On Tuesday 5th April the Foundation Stage 1 + 2 classes visited the Oasis Activity Farm Park to help the children get the most out of their current topic ‘Animals’. There, they met a variety of friendly farm animals including donkeys, goats, ponies, ducks and chickens which live happily and naturally at Oasis Park. Some of the activities included feeding and brushing the animals.  

Greek Independence Day is a national holiday celebrated annually to commemorate the start of the War of Greek Independence in 1821. We commemorated this important occasion with our own assembly featuring pupils in our junior school working alongside teachers to present an array of performances to the school. This year, pupils in years 3, 4, 5 & 6 recited poetry, sang traditional songs with some pupils participating in traditional dances too along with some of our wonderful senior school girls. The performances were excellent all round!

During late March 2022, we held our Sports Day events for each year group separately. These pictures prove what a fun, family event we manage to make these occasions, as the parent races proved just as exciting as the pupils’ races on those days! The three Houses of Attica, Epirus and Macedonia were well represented by children and their mums & dads in a series of exciting races and competitive events!

We were very proud of two of our young pupils this Springtime when they appeared on Greece Has Got Talent. They danced a sweet ballet that told the story of friendship coming through COVID times and bringing them closer than ever. Ioanna and Nina were beautifully composed, graceful and polite showing the qualities that we make them role models to us all.

On Friday 4^th March 2022, we held another wonderful carnival celebration at SLC. It was the first big party in 3 years so everyone was ready to make the most of it and enjoy themselves to the fullest. In the warm spring sunshine, we were happy to see that the costumes were fabulous, the atmosphere amazing and the fun went on for hours!